Mapping the world before GPS was a thing

dnebula53 · 2025-04-10T14:44:38Z

I stumbled across something pretty cool today—did you guys know that before GPS and satellites, people used chains and rods to measure land? Like actual metal chains, stretched out bit by bit. Apparently, this method goes way back, even ancient Egyptians had their own ways of measuring land boundaries using ropes with knots at regular intervals. Imagine being the guy who had to walk around all day dragging a chain through fields and forests just to map out someone's property line... talk about patience. Also learned that George Washington himself worked as a land surveyor when he was younger. Kinda funny picturing him trudging around in muddy boots, scribbling notes about hills and streams. Makes me wonder how accurate those old maps really were compared to today's satellite images. I mean, they must've been pretty good considering how much stuff was built based on them. Curious if anyone else has stumbled onto interesting bits of history or trivia about how people mapped things out before modern tech took over?

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"Pretty impressive considering they used ropes and chains back then."

Yeah, it's wild how accurate those old-school methods could be. I've worked on a few developments where the original surveys from the 1800s were actually more reliable than modern GPS data—go figure. GPS is handy, sure, but it can get thrown off by tree cover, buildings, or even weather. Sometimes the old-timers knew best... ropes, chains, and all. Makes you appreciate the skill and patience they had back then.